Keyring holder

ABSTRACT

A keyring holder including a base frame having a ring at the top for hanging, a fixed half-round hook fixedly connected to one end of the base frame, and a movable hook pivoted to an opposite end of the base frame, and wherein the movable half-round hook can be end matched to the fixed half-round hook to hold coins or circular display objects within a circular groove defined within the fixed and movable half-round hooks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a keyring holder which has a ring forhanging a keyring or the like and, which can be opened for holding coinsor circular display objects.

When a keyring is used to carry a bunch of keys, a keyring holder may besimultaneously used to hold the keyring and to fasten it to the belt,etc. Regular keyring holders are simply designed for hanging keyrings onthe belt or the like and provide no additional functions. Furthermore,regular keyring holders are not easy to operate for hanging ordismounting a keyring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished to provide a keyring holderwhich can be simultaneously used for carrying coins or circular displayobjects.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the keyring holdercomprises a base frame having a ring at the top for hanging, a fixedhalf-round hook fixedly connected to one end of the base frame, and amovable half-round hook pivoted to an opposite end of the base frame,and wherein the movable half-round hook can be end matched to the fixedhalf-round hook to hold coins or circular display objects within acircular groove defined within the fixed and movable half-round hooks.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the base framecomprises two opposite lugs to hold the fixed end of the movablehalf-round hook by means of a pivot pin, a recessed hole, a springmounted within the recessed hole, and a spring supported steel ballmounted in the recessed hole to retain the movable hook in the closedposition end matched with the fixed hook or the opened positiondisengaged from the fixed hook.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described by way of example withreference to the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a keyring holder according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the keyring holder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view in section of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing the movable hook opened;

FIG. 6 shows a circular display plate mounted within the keyring holdershown in FIG. 1 to show a picture;

FIG. 7 is a front view in section of an alternate form of the presentinvention when closed;

FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7 but showing the movable hook opened;

FIG. 9 is a front view in section of another alternate form of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 10 is a side view of the keyring holder shown in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a keyring holder in accordance with the presentinvention is generally comprised of a base frame 10 having a ring 11 forhanging a keyring or the like, a first half-round hook, namely, thefixed hook 20 fixedly connected to one end of the base frame 10, asecond half-round hook, namely, the movable hook 30 pivoted to anopposite end of the base frame 10. When the opposite ends (bottom ends)of the fixed and movable hooks 20 and 30 are end matched, the fixed andmovable hooks 20 and 30 form a ring.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the fixed and movable hooks 20 and 30 have arespective groove 21 or 31 at an inner side along the length. A retaineris made on the bottom ends of the hooks 20 and 30 for allowing the hooks20 and 30 to be end-matched. The retainer can be a wedged mortise 32made on the bottom end of the movable hook 30 and a wedged tenon 22 madeon the bottom end of the fixed hook 20 for fitting into the wedgedmortise 32. The base frame 10 comprises two parallel lugs 26 and 27 atone end, a recessed hole 23 horizontally disposed at a suitablelocation, a spring 24 received within the recessed hole 23, a steel ball25 supported on the spring 24. The movable hook 30 comprises a pivothole 33 near the top end and connected between the lugs 26 and 27 by apivot pin 40, and two transverse locating groove, namely, the firsttransverse locating groove 34 and the second transverse locating groove35 spaced around the pivot hole 33 at right angles.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the fixed and movable hooks 20 and 30 areclosed (end matched), the steel ball 25 engages the first transverselocating groove 34 causing the fixed and movable hooks 20 and 30 to befirmly retained in the closed status so that a coin 50 (see FIG. 3) canbe held in the grooves 21 and 31. When the movable hook 30 is pulledoutwards by force, the bottom end of the movable hook 30 is disconnectedfrom the bottom end of the fixed hook 20 (see FIG. 5), and therefore thecoin 50 can be taken out of the keyring holder.

Referring to FIG. 6, a circular display plate 500 may be mounted withinthe hooks 20 and 30 to show a picture.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an alternate form of the present invention, inwhich a substantially U-shaped locating block 250 is used to replace theaforesaid steel ball 25. This alternate form also eliminates theaforesaid locating grooves 34 and 35.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate another alternate form of the presentinvention. This alternate form comprises a base frame 100 having atransverse through hole 230, two opposite fixed hooks 200 and twoopposite movable hooks 300 respectively connected to the two oppositeends of the base frame 100 in reversed directions, a locating device 240received in the transverse through hole 230 to retain the movable hooks300 in the closed or opened position. The locating device 240 can be aspring having two steel balls at two opposite ends.

While only few embodiments of the present invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be understood that various modifications and changescould be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A keyring holder comprising:a base frame having aring at a top end for hanging; a fixed hook fixedly connected to one endof said base frame and having an arched groove at an inner side alongthe length; a movable hook having a fixed end pivoted to an opposite endof said base frame, a free end moved to end-match with said fixed hook,and an arched groove at an inner side along the length; and wherein whensaid fixed hook and said movable hook are end-matched, the archedgrooves of said fixed and movable hooks are connected in series to holdcoins or circular objects within said base frame and said fixed andmovable hooks.
 2. The keyring holder of claim 1 wherein said base framecomprises two opposite lugs to hold the fixed end of said movable hookby a pivot pin, a recessed hole, and a spring supported steel ballmounted within said recessed hole to retain said movable hook inposition.
 3. The keyring holder of claim 1 wherein said base framecomprises two opposite lugs to hold the fixed end of said movable hookby a pivot pin, a recessed hole, a spring mounted within said recessedhole, and a substantially U-shaped block supported on said spring toretain said movable hook in the closed position end-matched with saidfixed hook or the opened position disengaged from said fixed hook. 4.The keyring holder of claim 1 further comprising a retainer for holdingsaid fixed and movable hooks end-matched.
 5. The keyring holder of claim4 wherein said retainer comprises a wedged tenon and a wedged mortiserespectively made on said fixed and movable hooks for matching with eachother.